The Music

Rhythm: Salsa follows the rhythmical pattern of the Son Cubano with the key of the Son on the 4/4 stroke.

Melody: In many cases the melodies of the Salsa correlate with the traditional Son Montuno and other Caribbean genres. The influence of the Afro-Cuban Jazz contributed to the development of the Salsa music and dance.

Harmony: The Salsas‘ harmony agrees with the very of the occidential music and also has the tradinional musical Cuban traits.

Instruments: Salsa music uses Caban percussion instruments that have gained popularity in 1920es. Those instruments are kettledrums, the Güiro Cubano, bells and two rattles. The Conga (that distinguishes itself from the other Afro Cuban drums though its tonal heritage) and instruments as the piano, string bass or e-guitar conducted into a new style that established itself as important Salsa component across love songs of the Salsa Romántica in Columbia, Venezuela, Panama and slightly distant places such as Japan.

History

Salsa as a musical genre

Salsa is a mix between Afro-Cuban rhythms as the Son Montuno, Bomba, Mambo and Plena. It also has American Jazz elements. The movement that conducted from this new style started in New York, when a group of young musicians with Latin origin decided to blend tunes and rhythms. They tried to create a new style that accords to the dancing audience of that time to carry the “taste” that the other Afro-Cuban rhythms already possesed. Some of these musicians were ay Barretto, Bobby Valentin, Hector Lavoe, Willie Colon, Richie Ray, Bobby Cruz, Ismael Miranda, Adalberto Santiago and others like the Salsa star Cortijo snd Ismael Rivera.

On the 21. August 1972 the disc “Fania All Stars” was presented in Chetah by the Dominican flautist Jonny Pacheco and the jewish attorney Jerry Massuci. This birth of the Salsa was shown in the movie “Nuestra Cosa Latina”.

Thanks to the disc “FANIA” this rhythm gained popularity and spread all over the world from 1975 in New York to the Caribbean and the whole world. The music of this time is called Salsa Clásica or Salsa de Oro (golden Salsa).

In the 1970es and 1980es the Salsa reached Venezuela, Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic and also lived variations in Europe and Japan.

At the beginning of the 1980es the Salsa was influenced by the Dominican Merengue and the disco music, whereat a whole new musician generation invented a new Salsa style. This style is called erotic Salsa or romantic Salsa. Some of these talents were Frankie Ruiz, Eddie Santiago and Luis Enrique.

Meanwhile, Merengue was the music that attracted people to discotheques in Puerto Rico. Thankfully, the “Musica brava” was implemented again and this is the real Salsa. The audience expects Salsa with vitality and halt. They want to see the singer indulging into the music, hear a good solo, listen to the lyrics that tells from life; in short everything that was devoted from Salsa from the very beginning.

The developments from 1988 are mostly given through the label RMM that belongs to the Puerto Rican Ralph Mercado. Thanks to this label young and successful musicians such es Tito Nieves, Tony Vega and José Alberto “El Canario” were launched.

Nevertheless, Cuban bands hat an important value in times of the vanguard of the Salsa such as Los Vanvan, NG La Banda and Adalberto Alvarez and his Son. Nowadays, Salsa is listened and danced all over the world. Luckily, Salsa music styles are produced for every taste and every audience.

Neuigkeiten

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Musik Styles

Salsa Styles

Salsa Clásica/ Brava

Salsa Romantica

Salsa Cubana/ Timba

Salsa Clásica

Salsa Clásica is the original Salsa style and danced in every Caribbean country with exception of Cuba and Puerto Rico. It is somehow easier and characterized through its freedom, joy and sensuality.

Salsa Clásica is danced “on One” in a closed position with less figures and always considerating the music. The dance couple interprets the song every moment with ist movements, steps and figures. Here, we will tell you the typical structure of a Salsa song, so that you are able to dance with the sound of a Salsa song

The Structure of a Salsa Song

The music tells us what we should do.

Intruduction

Verse

Montuno

End

1. Introduction: The intruduction is always instrumental, the stroke between two and twelve basic steps.

It is danced in a closed position with the basic step (Abrazala) and a turn on the same place. This is a good possibility to leave a good impression to your dance partner and get a smile 😉 Never use figures during the introduction, you will get better possibilities.

2. Verse: During the verse you can concentrate on the songs‘ melody that always starts with the chant of the singer. Now you can start with doing figures and turns (Abre, Señorita, Enchufla). Nevertheless, you get back into the closed position (Abrazala) after the figure. The right time for doing complicated figures has not come yet.

3. Montuno: The band hots up with the performance of the choir (background singer) and the improvisations of the lead singer (singer soloist). Now you can hear all the percussion instruments such as bells, kettledrums, Congas, etc. This is the point with the highest intensity of the song.

Now you get the right possibility to do and enjoy complicated figures. But do not forget to get back into the closed position and to look at your partner. He or she should be able to enjoy and not not lose the fun of dancing with you.

4. End: The end is a soft part of the song, some kind of release after the hot tension of the Montuno. It es very short, maybe just one, two or four basic steps. After so many figures you will be now able to get back into the closed position (Abrazala) and stroll with your partner on the initial position. Be grateful and thank him or her – maybe trough smiling at your partner – for having had fun and shared this moment with you.

Salsa Romántica

Salsa Romántica is danced slower and with a lot of feeling, always in a closed position. The Salsa Romántica is perfect to enjoy your body movements with the music. The dance couple concentrates only on feeling the music and does less figures. The contents of your basic workshop are sufficient to enjoy the Salsa Romántica.

Listen to the music, enjoy it with your dance partner and let yourself go … you will see that you won´t need more to have fun dancing Salsa Romántica.

Salsa Cubana/Timba

This style is the most dynamic. The man always positions himself along the woman and he leads and turns. The woman answers with coquette hip movements. You change between the closed and the open position, whereat the step “Guapea” is made. Timba is perfect for group danced such as “Rueda de Casino”.

Now you can enjoy dancing the whole repertoire of Cuban figures. But never forget: Lead the woman with passion, so that she wants to dance with you in the future.

Interpretors & Discography

Discography to start:

This discography contains many of the most important Salsa interpretors: